


New Beginnings

by HansSolo98



Category: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Developing Friendships, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Independence, Sad with a Happy Ending, Strangers, Villains, Villains to Heroes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:01:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22825282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HansSolo98/pseuds/HansSolo98
Summary: Belle longs to live a life where she is proud of herself and her achievements. However, though the village where she resides in constantly mocks and ridicules her thoughts and ideas, Belle persistently strives through and continues to support not only herself but her widowed father, Maurice. However, when her father suddenly is kidnapped and imprisoned in an enchanted castle, Belle must face her traumatization and fears in order to save her father, the slaves of the palace and the Beast himself.
Relationships: Adam & Chip Potts & Mrs. Potts (Disney), Beast/Belle (Disney), Belle & Chip Potts & Mrs. Potts (Disney), Belle & Maurice (Disney), Belle's Mother/Maurice (Disney), Cogsworth/Lumiere (Disney), Gaston/LeFou (Disney), Lumiere/Plumette (Disney)
Kudos: 10





	1. A New Life

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Beauty and the Beast](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/561271) by Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve. 



> The first chapter is a prelude to Belle's life in the village. She is known as the Inventor in this chapter, but this will be changed to fit her character's original name. This chapter also marks as one of my first professional writings, so if I may mess up on some of my English or the story does not make sense, please feel free to comment! And thank you for supporting me and my writing!

The day was starting to look troublesome. For the Inventor, she tended to overlook any issues that often plagued her days, but there were certain events that would rewind in her head, thus creating a path of anxiety and depression for her to blindly follow. However, the causation of these problems could have been easily solved if her father overcame his fears about the urban lifestyle, specifically involving the city.   
  
It was, without a doubt going to become a troublesome life when the girl and her father moved to the small village out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by terrifying forests and an irksome society that, unfortunately, would not accept the Inventor for her personality and interests. This caused great depression and boredom for the girl, who tried to find ways to entertain herself.   
  
After her father’s decision to pack up their belongings and travel to the countryside, the Inventor found that her boredom created a diverse, abstract realization for her creative intelligence. The mind, therefore became her tool of mechanism when supporting the family’s income and home improvements.

The small, abandoned cottage that they came across soon became a flourished castle of their dreams, complete with a luscious garden for crops and plants alongside clean water from the turning wheel that was connected to a nearby stream. Also, the Inventor found that the cellar that lay beneath the ground was useful for not only her father’s paintings but also for her latest creations too. However, there laid a small village across the stream.   
  
The Inventor had visited it for quite some time but was bored and dissatisfied by the people who constantly mocked and ridiculed her for her beliefs and creative imagination. In the end, though her dissatisfaction with a provincial life was apparent, the Inventor was able to discover how to entertain herself throughout the year that she spent in that small village across the river.

Books were, and have been her only friend. The Inventor, who was known not only for being quiet but also reserved and introverted, often avoided the crowds in favor of staying in her cottage, and either reading different kinds of literature or finishing her latest invention in the cellar. Though many of the local people tried to engage the young girl in conversation, she would politely excuse herself and walk off to read at the fountain in the center of town or to converse with the farm animals who wandered about. These strange behaviors the Inventor carried with her caused many of the villagers to speculate whether or not something was the matter with the girl. Due to this, they treated the Inventor as if she were dumb and uneducated, asking simple questions and commenting on the girl’s appearance and unladylike mannerism in a frequent pattern.

“How I wish they would stop bothering me!” Cried the Inventor. Yet, as much as she had to deal with the annoying pests of the small village, there was one vermin that caused her a great deal of trouble. Unfortunately, he decided to make an appearance today, just as she convinced herself to travel to the bookstore to return the owner’s novella she borrowed a couple of days ago. In addition, the Inventor was left alone at her home as her father traveled to the city to sell his paintings and her inventions. The girl had no form of security to protect her from these incidences. 

“Why hello there! Fancy seeing you in the village today. Shall we go to the cavern and look at all my possessions?” The young huntsman proclaimed while gathering his big, muscular arms around the small form of the inventor. She shivered with an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach as the Huntsman forced her in his intended direction; The Inventor quickly freed herself from the man’s grasp. 

“No thank you. I am going home” she stated. The Huntsman presented a look of disgust on his face. 

“Why do you ignore all the good people of this village? I am only helping you to reintegrate into our society. You must stop all this reading and fantasy-like dreams and accept reality because it is not changing anytime soon” the Huntsman declared. 

The Inventor changed her direction and, deciding to abandon her original intent went back to the cottage and silently cried in her loneliness. How she wished that a miracle would happen, a chance for her life to change for the better. Not knowing of her future that laid ahead the Inventor prayed for her father’s safety as he traveled the dangerous forest, and picking up her book read the chapter about a beautiful enchantress and a beast that reigned in an abandoned castle.


	2. Quick Note-Chapter Two will be posted today

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a quick disclaimer about how this story will be taking place.

Hello Everybody!

This is a quick reminder from your author that this story will be a little different, in terms of its structure and organization. The main component is that, while this story will be following the events of the Disney film as well as incorporating other details from similar books and other works of literature, the chapters will not be in chronological order. Therefore, the timeline may seem off but trust me it will all come together eventually. Thank you and I hope you continue to read and support New Beginnings!

Gracie,  
Häns S.


	3. The Inventor is Now the Prisoner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is technically the second chapter to the series. In this chapter, Belle is in a confrontation with the Beast who has locked up her father, Maurice in a dungeon that's within the Beast's castle. Belle makes a life-changing offer that will redirect the course of the storyline.

Chapter Two- The Inventor is Now the Prisoner

  
  


“Take me instead!” Belle declared to the anonymous voice. 

A harsh wind flew from the open window of the stone prison that resided in the abandoned castle towards the Inventor’s direction, however, a feisty and foul-smelling odor also flew towards her. She tried to keep her mouth shut and her nose closed but quickly gasped as the smell eventually overtook her senses. Assuming that the odor was from the mouth, or other body parts of the mysterious voice Belle comprised herself and stood her ground. However, she was extremely terrified of what was to come next.

“What did you say?” the voice asked surprisingly. It shifted itself in the dark, looming shadows so as to apparently back away from the Inventor and her imprisoned father. 

“Take me instead of my father. That is what I said” Belle exclaimed. She shifted towards her father and held his freezing hands tightly. Then, Maurice quickly added, 

“No Belle, please don’t do this!” Then, the voice boomed!

“Take you? What good will that do for me?” it growled menacingly. The echoes that bounced off of the voice vibrated the ground and traveled through to Belle’s feet. She hesitated but said,

“What good will keeping my father here do then?” The voice was quiet, for a moment but then stated in a low growl,

“Your father is a thief. He is only repaying his crimes. That’s why he must stay and serve me for eternity” and with that, the voice appeared to stand tall and terrifying, looming over Belle in a threatening manner. However, Belle would not submit to the monster. She declared, in a quiet yet professional tone,

“I will stay and serve you for eternity if that means that my father will be able to leave freely”. If it wasn’t for the eeriness of the stone encampment, the gasps made by Maurice and the monster would have echoed loudly off the walls. Maurice stated,

“No Belle, I won’t let you do this. I’m old, and I lived my life and now it’s my time to repay for all the sins that I have committed” and with that, he wiped his tears away and tried to reach for his daughter’s warm yet shaky hands. Belle ignored his gesture and asked the monstrous voice,

“Come into the light”. However, the voice stayed in place, and a low growl escalated off the walls.

“I don’t take orders from anyone, especially a common village girl like yourself”. In a haste, Belle grabbed the candelabra she brought with her from when she first entered the estate and moved swiftly over to the voice’s position. Holding the flames up, the face of a disfigured animal appeared suddenly, and Belle silently screamed in terror. The face and the body of the monster were that of an animal that was horribly put together incorrectly; It was the combination of a lion and a bear. The fur was shaggy and filthy, and the monster’s only sense of modesty was a pair of rags meant to be pants and a long, purple cape pinned with a golden emblem that hung around its neck. With a menacing look, the monster growled in the Inventor’s face. 

“You asked to see the Beast, and now you have the nerve to gasp in my face. Now Choose, will you take your father’s place or not?”. Still stuck in place by shock, Belle quickly composed herself and declared,

“You have my word”. The Beast loudly proclaimed “DONE!” and proceeded to grab the keys to open Maurice’s cell. Belle fell to the ground and wept as her father ran to her side and gathered his daughter into his embrace. 

“” My dear girl, what have you done?” the father of the Inventor sadly spoke as he caressed Belle’s wet cheeks, now bright red and stained with tears. Then, in a quick of an eye, Maurice was violently grabbed by the hem of his shirt and dragged out of the prison. 

“WAIT!” Belle yelled as she tried to reach for her father. As the door closed on her, the sound of keys suddenly jingled and the lock was turned. Belle attempted to open the wooden door but to no avail. Then, she remembered the small window in the cell and ran to it, overlooking the grounds of the castle. Belle cried as she saw her father thrown out with the large, silver gates shutting themselves together. The Beast looked up in her direction and growled. The Inventor screamed loudly in desperation and fear. Now, her freedom is gone forever.

  
  



	4. The Huntsman Lurks in the Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle travels to the small, provincial village and seeks out a new book. While she deals with the stereotypes that a girl is expected to be, a certain huntsman stalks his prey in the shadows unseen.

A Huntsman Lurks in the Shadows

  
  


“What a glorious day!” Belle thought to herself. The day was starting off on a good note, where the Inventor had found herself having done the laundry and the dishes, cooked a delicious meal of roast beef and carrot soup and left some time for herself to visit the bookstore in the little village across the river. With a pep in her step, Belle glided across the bridge and leaped off until she hit the hard ground with a THUMP! Quickly, she avoided stepping in the mud by jumping across the slippery puddle and twirling herself around the abandoned leaves and twigs that resided in the brown dirt path. 

“Whew! That was close” Belle loudly exclaimed while tightly holding onto her wicker basket that contained the borrowed books. She continued on her journey until she reached the small town. Interestingly, it was rather quiet; Usually, there was hustling and bustling going about during the daylight hours. Cautiously, she entered and, with a sudden GASP was surprised with windows opening, people coming out of the shadows and doors bursting wide! 

“BONJOUR!” the villagers yelled out to the Inventor. Belle attempted to walk through the now busy crowd but found herself squished and squashed between the dozens of citizens. Finally making her way out so that she had some space to breathe properly, Belle noticed the local baker turning in the direction where his wife was selling the newly-baked pastries. 

“Bonjour Belle! How’s your day going?” the Baker asked as he started piling bread loaves onto his tin tray. Belle smelled the wonderful loaves, silently loathing that she didn’t bring any money with her to buy a piece. However, she redirected her thoughts and went back to answering the Baker’s question.

“I am doing well, monsieur! I am heading to Pare Rebrat’s shop to return these books” Belle said. The Baker huffed and responded quite annoyingly. 

“I don’t understand you, Belle. Why waste your time reading when you could be productive, like making dresses and getting married off” the Baker said as he fixated himself to rearranging the loaves on the tray. Belle sighed and turned to leave, but was suddenly stopped by the Baker who commented with a profound statement.

“I sure would have married my daughters off by now if I didn’t need them for the shop. Maurice should do some serious thinking about your future!” Belle politely (but was quite offended) by saying…

“I am in charge of my own future, monsieur. I will decide what I will do with myself”, and with that, she left the man bewildered and frozen in his small-minded space.

“I can’t believe the nerve of that man! Why should my father choose what I shall do with my life” Belle questioned as she walked towards the bookshop. Also, not only was the Baker’s statement stuck in her mind, but she happened to notice the many stares coming from the villagers. As she tried to ignore them, Belle opened the door to the tiny bookshop and heard the DING of the doorbell that lay overhead. The bookstore owner, Monsieur Charmante turned his head and smiled brightly.

“Why hello Belle! Have you come to collect more books for your collection?” he asked as he stepped down from the wooden ladder. Belle has set her basket down and took the books out, holding them close to her chest.

“You know that these books already have a special home, monsieur! I only came to return these novels and grab another one to take with me” Belle said as Monsieur Charmante walked up to her. He grinned with joy and took the books from Belle’s arms and went off to put them in their designated place as the Inventor went about scanning the large shelves filled to the brim with the most wonderful books that existed!

“Have you got anything new for me? Any new places to go?” Belle asked as she continued to pick up different novels and read their soft, silky pages. Charmante sighed. 

“Nothing new that I’ve got. I even traveled to that other village across the river, you know the one with the bigger bookshop. I tried to find something new and interesting for you to read but it seems like literature these days is halting to a stop. It’s as if there are no more authors in France willing to write a good book!” he exclaimed as he organized his little desk in the corner. Belle attempted a small smile but was deeply devastated by the news. If anyone was updated with the latest news and politics that swarmed the country, it was Monsieur Charmante. 

“I see. Well, I suppose I shall take this one!” Belle happily stated as she handed the book to the little old man. He took his follicles and examined the novel closely with interest.

“This one? But you read it twice!” he said with laughter.

“I know but it’s my favorite! Far off places, magic sword fights, magic spells and princes in disguise!” Belle exclaimed with joy! She happily jumped around the small, entrapped bookstore and went about twirling and spinning whilst laughing loudly!

“Then if you like it so much, it’s yours!” Charmante said as he handed the book to Belle. She stopped her dancing and stared at the man with wonder. She couldn’t believe it! Monsieur Charmante was giving her one of his prized books; He didn’t even let anyone but the Inventor borrow it, though it was no surprise that hardly anyone came into the shop.

“But sir, I can’t take it. It’s too precious!” Belle tried to argue.

“No, I insist my dear! Now go and enjoy your book!” he ushered her out of the shop. Belle turned to thank him and went about walking and reading at the same time, a talent she happened to possess. 

“She’ll make this world a better place. I know it” Monsieur Charmante said to himself as he went back inside and closed the door. However, unbeknownst to the Inventor, a certain huntsman was lurking in the shadow, silently stalking his prey.

  
  



	5. An Unexpected Wedding Ceremony- Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle comes face to face with a predator of unknown potential who seeks to make her his bride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be broken into two parts since the chapter waa already becoming long and I want to add more details!

An Unexpected Wedding Ceremony-Part One

  
  


After having done the chores and prepared lunch for herself, the young inventor carried herself over to the wooden chairs surrounding the handmade wooden table and collected one of her favorite books to read for the sunny afternoon. However, there would be a surprise coming her way very soon.

Making herself comfortable in the low-quality chairs, Belle gathered up her legs and swung them over the chair’s arm, her feet dangling off. Oh, how she wished she could have enough money in the world to afford high-quality furniture pieces. How they would lavish the small, dainty cottage that smelled particular of firewood and gasoline (thanks to her inventions going airy on her a couple of times). Yet, she was thankful to at least have a house to cover her head, as well as clothes and food to appreciate. Remembering the stricken poverty population that plagued the cities she and her father once resided in, Belle had to admit that she was better off than most; This was also comparing herself to the villagers in that small provincial town across the stream. As well as that, Belle also had a loving father who cared deeply for her. Yet, she longed for her mother.

To explain Belle’s mother would be almost impossible; Well, almost! To start, the young lady’s name was Rosemary, which quite suited her for she always smelt of springtime flowers and could be described as the Virgin Mary, in a biblical sense for her kindness and devotion to her husband, Maurice. With long, yellow hair that shimmered whenever the sun shone and bright brown eyes that were as dark as the bark off of a tree, Rosemary was known across the city of Paris for her intellectual standards as well as her natural beauty. Yet, that was all Belle knew about her long-deceased mother. 

Unfortunately, Rosemary had experienced quite a few misfortunes during her previous pregnancies. Her firstborn, which came from an unknown man Belle knew nothing about had passed at two years old due to a high fever. The second child was a miscarriage, also from an unknown male entity. Finally, Belle was born to Rosemary and Maurice, however, she was told that the young mother experienced many sick mornings and was plagued with illness and fatigue. In the end, though Belle was born a healthy baby, Rosemary suffered from the Black Plague that surrounded the city of Paris, and thus had died right after the Inventor’s birth. 

It had taken many years, up until Belle had reached 15 for Maurice to come out with the truth about Rosemary’s death. For the painter, the passing of his beloved wife was a heartbreaking moment in his lifetime, to which his ultimate decision was to raise Rosemary’s baby girl to the best of his abilities. Yet, though he promised his daughter that no lies would ever live in their household, he could not bear to share the true nature of Rosemary’s passing. Unfortunately, as Belle had come across a book talking about the infamous plague in the local library that Paris contained ( they had resided here up until the girl’s 16th year), Belle’s curiosity caught up with Maurice’s secret and thus he tearfully told his daughter the truth. Now, at 21 years old the Inventor was still having thoughts about her long-dead mother, whom she desperately tried to forget as a means to rectify her unfortunate past and lack of a maternal figure in her life. 

Now, as she attempted to concentrate on her novel (which was Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”) Belle was finally lost in her wondrous world of reading and literary creations. Having gotten comfortable in her seating position, Belle started reading until she heard a knock at the door. Eyes rolling far back into her head, for she just sat down, Belle got up and went to the door. From there, she took hold of the small contraption that resembled a kaleidoscope but much bigger and far more stretchable, for it was redesigned by the Inventor herself. Looking into the small peepholes, a large handsome face with astonishingly blue eyes smiled brightly, awaiting Belle to open the door. Unfortunately, Belle wasn’t in the mood for visitors, especially Gaston who stood impatiently waiting on her doorstep. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

“Hello Belle” Gaston said slyly as he inched towards her with his hands on his belt and his usual red attire gone but instead replaced with a white petticoat and black leather pants with matching boots. His hair was also tied back into a small ponytail, thus ensuring that he looked his best for whatever his plans were to be. 

“Gaston, what a pleasant surprise,” Belle said though with as much patience as she could muster. She quickly followed up with the question,

“What brings you here?”

Gaston smiled mischievously and started walking right into her cottage without so much as a welcome invitation. It was as if he assumed that he could come in, though that was to be expected with the amount of arrogance he carried on his shoulders. He prowled upon Belle until they came to the small vanity within the room, where he turned his head and started examining his features.

“You know Belle, there isn’t a girl in town who wouldn’t love to be in your shows. This is the day that your dreams come true!” the huntsman said proudly while smoothing back his locks and licking his lips.

“What do you know about my dreams, Gaston?” Belle huffed and she made her way to the wooden table though she still kept her eyes on the man in case he tried anything funny with her. Slowly, Gaston walked closer to the Inventor and perched himself down upon the seat where Belle was initially sitting in previously. In one swift movement, Gaston lifted his feet onto the table and right onto her book, with mud that stuck to his leather boots splattering onto her novel and onto the wooden surface too.

“Picture this Belle! Imagine a rustic hunting lodge, my latest kill roasting by the fire, and my little wife massaging my feet” and as he said this he wiggled his toes now that the boots had come off. He then continued with,

“While the little ones play on the floor with the dogs. We’ll have six or seven!”

Belle could only guess what he was referring to but played innocently in high hopes that he wouldn’t answer what she was initially thinking. 

“Dogs?” she answered questionably. Followed with a pounding of his bread chest, Gaston laughed loudly. 

“Dogs? No Belle, they would be handsome boys! Like me”, and then he proceeded to sit up from his resting position and get up from the chair. In a haste, Belle grabbed the mud-covered book and proceeded to wipe it down with a handkerchief she carried in her pockets. She outwardly smiled, but prayed that the man would just leave her alone!

“Imagine that. What a dream that is to achieve” Belle added as she made her way to the small bookshelf that connected itself to the walls of the cottage (it wasn’t as big as the bookshop’s collection nor the local library that resided in Paris, but it was an achievement for Belle since she handcrafted and built the object herself). As she turned her back to Gaston, he made way to walk in her direction whilst tracking mud on her clean floors that she just swept up that morning. If Belle wasn't already annoyed with Gaston seemingly acting like an unexpected and unappreciated guest, now she was becoming pissed.

“And you know who that little wife will be?” Gaston followed up while showing off his shiny teeth and growling menacingly. As Belle put the book back in its rightful place, she gulped and shivered with fear. She knew she was in trouble!

“Let me think” she answered though she secretly knew what the Huntsman was going to say next. All of a sudden, Belle was pushed into the wall and imprisoned by Gaston’s large arms. She looked up at him with fear as Gaston smiled down upon his prey.

“It’s you, Belle!” 

  
  



End file.
